Two color pick selector mechanism



Dec. 1, 1964 O'NEAL SMITH TWO COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 21. 1962 O'Nea/ Sm/m- Dec. 1, 1964 ONEAL SMITH TWO COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1962 SHED INVENTOR. O'Nea/ Smith Zak/U 1, 1964 O'NEAL SMITH TWO COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 21, 1962 1 NVEN TOR. O'Nea/ Sm/fh ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1964 O'NEAL SMITH 3,159,135

Two COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb. 21, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 5a n V O O O O O O O 48 lmxmx 'INVENTOR. O'Nea/ .Sm/M

b/m JM 1, 1964 O'NEAL SMITH TWO COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 21, 1962 INVENTOR.

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7'7'0R/VEY O'A/ea/ 5 muwmm w kkblm k United States Patent TWO COLQR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM GNeal Smith, Sylvan Lane, Rte. 3 (Box 3), Ellicott City, Md.

Filed Feb. 21, 19.62, Ser. No. 174,789 5 Claims. (Cl. 139-126) This invention relates generally to automatic. high speed gripper shuttle type looms, and more particularly it pertains to an improved picking selector.

This invention has for its principle object the provision of a loom device to make possible the running of colors of Weft yarn in selected combinations.

Standard looms which have their shedding mechanism enclosed in their housings are limited to the number of he alds which they canaccommodate. To overcome this limitation, the dobby head was devised for controlling a greater numberof healds' with consequent larger selection of fabric styles which could be run on gripper types of automatic looms. This invention extends the use of the dobby head to pick selection.

An example of a gripper shuttle type loom having pick and pick mechanism particularly adaptable to the present invention is described in US. Patent No. 2,695,635 to Fisher. In Fishers pick and pick mechanism, a pair of Weft feeders are mounted one above the other on a plate which is vertically moved with each pick. Each weft feeder carries weft yarn from an individual weft yarn package. Such pick and pick mechanism can only spread weft yarn alternately for the purpose of dispersing or blending uneveness in size or color of packages of yarn or for inserting two colors of yarn in alternate succession.

In the present invention, as will be related, the shuttles are picked in the usual manner but the weft gripper feeder plate remains in one operative position suited to the number of consecutive pick of one color desired. Therefore, this invention is referred to as a two color pick selector.

In carrying out this invention, the splines of the cams which drive Fishers pick and pick mechanism are bored out and fitted with a sleeve so as to ride over the splined picker cam shaft without being driven thereby as originally intended. The provision of a sprocket to this sleeve and a sprocket chain permits the cams to be positioned by the dobby head controlling the Weft feeder to cause it to make as many individual Weft picks as desired from either the top weft feeder gripper or the bottom feeder gripper. a

A better understanding of this invention will be afforded by the following detailed description considered in con-' junction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the elements of a loom which is arranged for two color pick selection according tensioner for the two color pick selector, partly broken away and with parts omitted for clarity; r

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the line. 5-5

ofFIG.4; i

FIG. 6 is a detail perspective'ofatensioner arm assembly arranged for two color selective picking;

Ice

FIG. 7 is a side elevation partly broken away, of the uncovered filler drive box adapted for two color selective picking;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the timing gear and the driving cams for the pick and pick mechanism; a

FIG. 9 is a cross section taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10'is a face view, much enlarged, showing the n u of t olo l ct Pickin Fern;

FIG. 11 is -a view similar to FIG, 10 of one of the ams which actuate he sh t f ede in e and FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIGS. 10 and 1 1 of the contour of the other, adjustable shuttle feeder actuator cam.

As previously mentioned in the introduction, this invention is well suited for adaption to existing automatic looms of the gripper shuttle type. Inasmuch as the details of such looms as disclosed in US. Patents Nos. 2,160,338, 2,160,339 2,136,703, 2,420,308, to Moessinger; and 2,099,627 .to Rossman, and 2,514,152 to Daresh, are well known to those skilled in the art, only the essential elements thereof will be depicted and described herein.

Consider an automatic gripper type loom to be provided with a dobby head 20 as shpwn in FIG. 1. The usual heddle frames 22 are'raised'and lowered to form the shed by cords 24 which are pulled selectively by this dobby head 20 in accordance with a program previously set up on a punched cord selector 26. 7

An electric motor 28 provides the driving power for a picking box 34 through a main drive shaft 30. The picking box 34 internally has a gear train for powering an associated filler drive box whose housing is visible in FIG. 1. An oscillating crank or rack shaft 36 couples back from the filler drive box 38 to the driving mechanism of the picking box 34 which move shuttle feeders. As originally provided, this crank or rack shaft 36 rotatively oscillated back and forth, with each pick of the shuttle alternately feeding weft thread from one or the other of two yarn packages through upper or lower yarn positioners.

A pair of tensioner arms for controlling the slack or tension of the weft yarn also were operated alternately in a filling tensioner assembly 50.

The 'filler drive box 38 as adapted for two color filling is shown in detail in FIG. 7. The modified earn assernbly 40 of this drive box 38 is detailed in FIGS. 8 and 9. I

By means of a gear, not shown, a timing gear 42 is continuously rotated from the main drive shaft 30 through.

the previously mentioned gear train of the picking box. This timing gear 42 is splined on a picking cam shaft 44 journalled at one end in a bearing 46 which is set into the casting of the filler drive box 38 and extends outwardly to the previously mentioned filling tensioner assembly 50 (see arrow in FIG. 8).

Originally, a pair of cams on this shaft 44 and housed within the filler drive box 38 rotated continuously and Y fixed to the end of the crank or rack shaft 36. 3

In the carrying out of this invention, cams and 62 for moving .the lever 52'now are arranged to be moved independently of the splined cam shaft 44 through the agency of" a sleeved sprocket 64 and a chain 10 which passes around the latter. i 1

7 provided with an extend arm 78 so they can be pivoted away from contact with a picking cam 80. This cam 80 (modifiedvfor color selection as detailed in FIG. 10) is splined for rotation on the extended end of the picking cam shaft44. A cam follower 82 is provided for lifting tensioner arm 74 and another cam follower 84, through bell crank 86 and connecting rod 88, for lifting tensioner arm 76 whenever permitted by a raised extend arm '78 (see FIG. 6). 1

For pulling down alternately the extend arms 78 and thus disabling the cam action mentioned, a chain 2 is attached-to each'and passed over a sprocket94 at each end of a frame 96 welded tothe filling tensioner assembly 50.

- Each chain 94 terminates in a spring loaded'shaft 98in opposite ends of a slide 9i); This slide 90 canreciprocate in a slide box 100 (see FIG. and which is secured to the frame 96. i

A compression spring 102 on a guide barltM biases the slide 90 toward one end of the frame 96. A chain 196 at the other end of slide 161] is provided for pulling the slide against this spring bias.

This chain 106,-along withthe two ends of chain 108 previously mentioned in connection with the cam assembly 40, pass 'upwardlyover sprockets as shown in FIG. 1 and each terminate on rods 110 of round stock.

Directed by a guide bracket 112, the three rods 110 enter the dobby head 20 where they are attached to jacks (not shown) which move as commanded by the dropping of needles into'the holes of the punched cord selector 26 to position one or more heddle frames 22 in the usual manner. As will be noted from FIGS. 2 and 3, the stringing of weft yarn from each of the two yarn packages 114 and 116 is in accordance with the usual practice: Through the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means and ,7 having a plurality of yarn positioners, each corresponding to a yarn from said yarn packages, to position said yarn in the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means, means including a rotating shaft member, yarn tensioner means selectively operableby said last mentioned means, sleeve means rotatably mounted on said rotating shaft member, means to translate the rotary motion of said rotatably mounted-sleeve means .to oscillating motion of said means arranged to oscillate, means for rotating said rotatably mounted sleeve means independent of the rotation of said rotating shaft member, and means operating said yarn tensioner means according to the operation of said means for rotating, whereby said yarn is delivered to the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means in any desired sequence. I

2. In an automatic gripper type loom as recitedin claim 1 wherein said means translating the rotary motion of said sleeve means to oscillating motion of said means arranged to oscillate includes link means coacting with said last mentioned means and cam means mounted on said sleeve means to reciprocate said link means.

3. In an automatic gripper type'loom, gripper shuttle means having a yarn'receiving position, aplurality of yarn packages, means arranged to "oscillate with respect to the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means and having a plurality of yarn positioners, each corresponding to a yarn from said yarn packages, to position said yarn in the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttleameans,

means including a rotating shaft member, yarn tensioner means selectively operable by said last mentioned means and including means to determinethe selective operation said means to determine the selective operation of said drag brakes 118, guides 120 and tensioner arms74 or 76 v to lower or upper yarn positioners 122 or 124, respectively.

Now when the camlassembly so positions lever 52 that crank or rack shaft 36 is up, the gripper shuttle 126 feeds yarn which is positioned in the yarn receiving position by the lower yarn positioner 122. The slide 90 is moved to the left under spring bias, tensioner arm 74 is permitted to contact picking cam 80 while tensioner arm 76 is raised and inoperative; Consequently, the filling and picking continues from only one yarn package 114, the shed opens and closes and normal beating of the fell proceeds. 7

When the chains 1108 are oppositely moved to shift cam assembly 40 and thechain 106 pulled to move slide 90 to the right, the converse is true. Weft yarn is now supplied from package 116, the crank or rack 36 is down and shuttle 126' feeds yarn which is positioned in the yarn receiving position by the upper yarn positioner 124. Tensioner arm 74 is raised clear of rotating picking cam 80 and is idle but tensioner arm 76 is in contact therewith to perform its filling operation.

- With the packages 114 and 116 of different colors, as many consecutive picks of one color weft can be made as desired, thus adding greatly to the versatility of the grippershuttle typeloom. f

Obviously many modifications :and variations of the a present invention are possible in the light of the above -teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within 1 ,Ithe scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

' What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic gripper type loom, gripper' shuttle means having a yarn receiving position, a plurality of yarn said yarn in. the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means, means including a rotating shaft member, yarntensione'r means selectively operable by said last mentioned means and including first control means to determine the selective operation thereof, a sleeve member rotatably mountedon said rotating shaft member,

a means to'translate rotary motion of said sleeve member to oscillating motion'of said crank means, and second control means for rotating said sleeve member independent of the rotation of said rotating shaft member so as to present to the yarn receiving position of said grippershuttle means H the yarn positioners of said crank means in any desired se-' quence, said first control means maintaining said yarn tensioner means in operative position according to the sequence of oscillation of said yarn positioners.

5. In an automatic gripper type loom having a dobby head for controlling the delivery of different yarns in normally. alternating fashion from a plurality'of yarn packages to the yarn receiving positionof gripper shuttle means 7 via an oscillating member having spaced yarn positioners,

each correspondingto ayarn from said yarn packages, and for synchronizing the selection of yarn tensioning means to operate with the delivery' of said different yarns, means for feeding each yarn of said different yarns to the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means in any desired sequence, comprising, means including a rotating member to control the operation of the yarn tensioning means selected by said dobby head, a sleeve member rotatably mounted on said rotating shaft member, means to translate rotary motion of said sleeve member to oscillating motion of said oscillating member, and means linked with said dobby head for rotating said sleeve member independent of said rotating shaft member so as to present to the yarn receiving position of said gripper shuttle means the yarn positioners of said oscillating member in any desired sequence, the selection of said yarn tensioning means being according to the sequence of oscillation of said yarn positioners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC GRIPPER TYPE LOOM, GRIPPER SHUTTLE MEANS HAVING A YARN RECEIVING POSITION, A PLURALITY OF YARN PACKAGES, MEANS ARRANGED TO OSCILLATE WITH RESPECT TO THE YARN RECEIVING POSITION OF SAID GRIPPER SHUTTLE MEANS AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF YARN POSITIONERS, EACH CORRESPONDING TO A YARN FROM SAID YARN PACKAGES, TO POSITION SAID YARN IN THE YARN RECEIVING POSITION OF SAID GRIPPER SHUTTLE MEANS, MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATING SHAFT MEMBER, YARN TENSIONER MEANS SELECTIVELY OPERABLE BY SAIDLAST MENTIONED MEANS, SLEEVE MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROTATING SHAFT MEMBER, MEANS TO TRANSLATE THE ROTARY MOTION OF SAID RO- 